Ski racks



March 29, 1966 H. J. BARRECA SKI RACKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 6, 1964 VENTOR.

ATTORNEY SKI RACKS Filed 6, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,242,704 SKI RACKS Henry J. Barreca, 925 Prospect Place,

Brooklyn 13, N.Y. Filed Aug. 6, 1964, Ser. No. 387,966 7 Claims. (Cl. 70-58) This invention relates to utility racks such as automobile ski racks and more particularly to locking means for such racks so as to prevent theft of the skis.

Many ski racks accommodate skis in pairs, the running surfaces of the skis being in contact and held vertically, with the respective bindings of'the skis on opposite sides of the gripped pair of skis.

The industry has long sought an effective lock for such ski racks but since each pair of skis is gripped or clamped independently of the other pairs, a satisfactory common lock for all the skis has not been achieved.

With the foregoing in mind, I have devised a lock in which a locking bar extends across the entire rack so as to overlie all the skis. However, such a bar would ordinarily not be effective because although it would prevent skis from being lifted away from the rack, it would not prevent skis from being slid out and removed notwithstanding the locking bar. Accordingly, I provide vertical posts which depend downwardly from the locking bar and which form relatively narrow and strong frames from which the skis can not be slidably removed because they would intercept the bindings of the skis. Thus the locking bar of this invention effectively locks each pair of skis from any type of unauthorized removal. As will be shown hereinafter, one end of the locking bar is hinged to the rack while the other end is provided with a key operated sliding bolt lock.

The invention will be further understood from the following description and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a ski rack member made according to this invention, the locking bar being shown in the open position;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged, elevational view, partly broken away, of the ski rack member with the locking bar in the closed position;

FIGURE 3 is a further enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view of the ski rack member; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of both the ski rack members of a rack, showing their relationship to the clamped and locked skis.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the tubular bars are the usual frame members which are adapted to be secured to a vehicle, as for example, the outer surface of a trunk in the conventional automobile. Means, not shown, are employed to secure bars 10 to the trunk or other portion of the vehicle. The typical expedients therefore usually include suction cups as well as adjustable straps having end hooks or the like which are secured to the opposing trunk lid edges.

Secured transversely across and supported by frame bars 10 is lowermost ski rest bar 11. Ski rest bar 11 is a channeled piece and is provided with a series of up- 3242,7 04? Patented Mar. 29, 1966 ice wardly extending spaced vertical posts 12. These are conventionally formed with offset upper ends 13 as well as protective sleeves 14. Such posts are also provided with ski gripping means in the form of resilient rubber straps 15 the lower ends of which comprise a ring which is penetrated by the posts while the upper end is formed with a tab 16 having a hole through which offset end 13 extends so as to grip the skis. All the foregoing is conventional and is described herein to clarify the function of my locking bars as will hereinafter be explained.

The locking bar comprises a top bar 20, which may be formed of a channel member which encloses a conventional form of resilient rubber strip 21 serving as a cushion for the clamped skis. One end of bar 20 is provided with and secured to a channel-shaped end bracket 22. End bracket 22 is hingedly secured at its lower end to ear 23 of ski rest bar 11 by hinge pin 24.

Top bar 20 normally overlies ski rest bar 11 so as to form a ski receiving space 25 therebetween. Top bar 20 is provided with a series of spaced, downwardly depending posts 26 each of which is horizontally spaced from a vertical post 14 of the ski rest bar. Accordingly, and as will be shown hereinafter, each downwardly depending post 26 forms in combination with an adjacent post 14, and with the respective top and lowermost bars, a frame which serves to receive and enclose a pair of skis as illustrated in FIGURE 5.

It will be understood that two lowermost ski rest bars 11 as shown for example in FIGURE 5, may grip 4 pairs of skis by simply employing gripping straps 15 as above indicated. However, such skis could be stolen and the gripping action may further be rendered unsatisfactory in many cases by the weakening or even loss of the straps 15, which would prevent any gripping of the skis at all.

In conventional racks employing a lowermost ski rest bar, the spacing between vertical posts 12 is about six inches. My provision of top bar 20 with its downwardly depending posts 26 effectively reduces the available space occupied by a pair of skis for the following purposes:

The thickness of a composite pair of skis at their center when held with their running surfaces in contact, is about 1 /2". As will be understood, however, all skis are provided with bindings B (FIGURE 5) which effectively attach the skis to the boots of a wearer. Such bindings are disposed somewhat centrally of the length of the skis. In practically all cases, the bindings are about 1 /2" high so as to add three inches to the effective thickness of the pair of skis. It will be recognized, there fore, that if the space between a post 12 of ski rest bar 11 and an adjacent post 26 of top bar 20 is less than 4%." in the overlaying position of the top bar, then it will be impossible to slide the skis out of the box-like frame which is formed by these elements as above described. It is this principle which I have employed in devising the ski rack of this invention.

Thus, when the top bar is in its overlying position as shown in FIGURE 2, the space S between any downwardly depending post 26 and its associated adjacent rest bar post 12 is less than that of the thickness of a pair of skis including the bindings. Specifically in a satisfactory embodiment the space S was 3" in contrast with 'spacing I still retain.

the conventional spacing of posts 12 which is 6", which Accordingly, a pair of skis cannot be slid out of the rack by virtue of the dimensions of the formed box-like frame. Of course, the skis cannot be removed by lifting them since the top bar 20 would prevent such action. Thus it is only necessary now to lock the top bar in position, whereby theft of the skis will be prevented.

The front end of bar 20 is provided with a hinged channel-shaped locking bracket 30 which is connected thereto by hinge pin 31. Bracket 30 is of about the same height as bracket 22 and they jointly determine the spacing between the top bar 20 and the ski rest bar 11. Bracket 30 has a front face 32 in which is disposed a cylinder lock 33. Cylinder lock 33 is essentially conventional. It includes a sliding bolt 34- which is in the shape of a T as illustrated in FIGURE 3. However, on the lower front end of the T, I have disposed an integral pin 35 which rides in an elongated vertical slot 36 formed in front face 32. Accordingly, as the key 37 is operated, it aotu-ates the sliding T-bolt and causes the pin 35 to selectively occupy either an upper or lower position in the slot 36.

Co-aioting with hinged locking bracket 30 is the rotatable crank handle 40 which is rotatably connected at its inner end to bracket 41 connected to the front end of ski rest bar 11. Pin 42 serves to limit the rotation of crank handle 48.

Assuming now that crank handle 40 is in a vertical position as illustrated in FIGURE 1, and further assuming that the sliding bolt pin 35 is in its nonooking or upper position as similarly illustrated, then after the locking bar 20 is brought down to its locking, overlying position, the slot 3 6 of the bracket 30 can be slipped over the crank handle 4t) into the locking position illustrated in FIGURE. 2. Thereafter crank handle 40 can the rotated sli htly in either direction, as illustrated in FIGURE 4. At this time the key 37 will be operated to lower the sliding T-bolt 34. This action will move the pin 35 from the upper position illustrated in dotted lines of FIGURE 4 to the lower full line position shown. In this state, the crank arm 40 cannot be returned to a vertical position where it is in registry with slot 36 and the bracket 30 cannot therefore be lifted so as to permit the top bar 20 to be swung back. In other works, the top bar 20 is thus locked in its overlying position.

When it is desired to unlock the skis it is sirnply necessary to return the bolt pin 35 to its upper position, whereupon the crank handle 40 can be rotated to an upright or vertical position where it registers with the slot 36 so that the bracket 30 can be swung upwardly and away from crank handle 40, permitting the top bar to be lifted.

Of course this specific locking means can be replaced by any lock which prevents the top bar from being lifted away.

It will further be observed that top bar 20 serves an additional function since it more firmly secures the skis in place, even should a strap tear.

I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention but it is obvious that numerous changes and omissions may be made without departing from its spirit. For example, while I have shown the frame forming posts 26 on the top bar, they may be permanently connected to the ski rest bar 11, interleaved with the posts 12 to form horizontal frames just as in the above-described embodiment.

What is claimed is:

1. For use with a ski rack having a lowermost ski rest bar and a series of upwardly extending, spaced vertical posts thereon, a top bar adapted to overlie said ski rest bar so as to form a ski receiving space therebetween, a series of spaced, downwardly depending posts along said top bar each of which is adapted to be horizontally spaced relative to said ski rest bar vertical posts and overlapping said vertical posts when said top bar is disposed in its said overlying position whereby the respective series of vertical pins form a series of frames each adapted to receive and enclose a pair of skis, each frame including one upwardly extending vertical post and one adjacent downwardly depending post substantially parallel thereto to form a box-like frame, and means on said top bar to lock it in its said overlying position.

2. A locking ski rack comprising a lowermost ski rest bar having a first series of upwardly extending, spaced vertical posts thereon, and a top bar hinged at one end thereof to said rest bar and adapted to swing and overlie said ski rest bar so as to close the rack and to form a ski receiving space between said bars, a second series of spaced vertical posts along one of said bars each of said second series being horizontally spaced from the posts of said first series and overlapping the posts of said first series when skis are locked in the rack, the respective series of posts forming a series of horizontal frames each of which comprises two spaced vertical posts forming a box-like frame adapted to receive and enclose a pair of skis, and means on said top bar to lock it in its said overlying position.

3. A ski rack according to claim. 2 and including brackets on the respective ends of said top bar and serving to define the upward spacing of said top bar relative to said ski rest bar, at least one of said brackets being hinged to said top bar, said last-named means on said top bar comprising a lock on said one bracket, and means on said ski rest bar cooperating with said lock to lock said top bar from being swung back away from its said overlying position.

4. A ski rack according to claim 2 and wherein said one bracket is formed with a vertical slot, said lock including a bolt pin which rides in said slot, and a rotatable crank handle on said ski rest bar, said crank handle being receivable in and through said slot and being thereafter rotatable for locking said top bar, and said bolt pin being operative to prevent said crank handle from being returned through said slot to release said top bar when said lock is in its locking position.

5. In a ski rack, a lowermost ski rest bar, a top bar adapted to overlie and close said ski rest bar so as to form a ski receiving space therebetween, a first series of upwardly extending spaced vertical posts on said lowermost ski rest bar, and a second series of vertical posts on one of said bars and interleaved with and overiapping said posts of said second series to form a series of horizontal box-like frames each of which is adapted to receive and embrace a pair of skis in the closed position of the rack, each said box-like frame being formed by two parallel vertical posts respectively from each of said series of posts, together with horizontal portions of said bars.

6. A device according to claim 5 and including a second lowermost ski rest bar and top bar both substantially horizontally spaced from said first mentioned ski rest bar and top bar and also forming a series of horizontal frames.

7. A ski rack comprising two spaced lowermost ski rest bars each having a series of upwardly extending horizontally spaced vertical post-s thereon, and a hinged top bar on each of said ski rest bars and adapted to swing and overly the respective ski rest bars so as to form ski receiving spaces therebetween, brackets on the respective ends of each top bar serving to define the upward spacing thereof relative to the respective ski rest bars, at least one of said brackets on each top bar being channel-shaped and hinged to its top bar, a key operated lock on said one bracket, each said one bracket being formed with a vertical slot, a locking member on each ski rest bar and being receivable in and through said slot and being operative thereby to lock said top bars to said ski rack bars in their said overlying position, and a series of horizontally spaced, downwardly depending posts along the underside of each top bar, said top bar posts being horizontally spaced from adjacent vertical posts of said ski rest bars when said top bars are disposed in their over- References Cited by the Examiner lying positions so as to form two respective series of UNITED STATES PATENTS horizontal frames each of which is adapted to receive and enclose a pair of skis which have their running sur- 1233576 7/1917 Hlggms 211 '7 2,133,883 10/1938 Aubert 211-60 faces in contact and their bindings between the two ski 5 2 999 378 9/1961 Blair rest b ars, said key operated locks including a bolt pin 3:091:011 5/1963 gEfiIIfjjj'% X which rides in the respective slots, each of said bolt pins FOREIGN PATENTS being operative to prevent said ski rest bar locking Inemher from being returned through its slot to release its 2621303 9/1949 top bar when the key operated lock is in its locking p osi- 10 JOSEPH D. SEERS, Primary Examiner. tion when the top bars are in their said overlying position. BOBBY R A Examiner 

1. FOR USE WITH A SKI RACK HAVING A LOWERMOST SKI REST BAR AND A SERIES OF UPWARDLY EXTENDING, SPACED VERTICAL POSTS THEREON, A TOP BAR ADAPTED TO OVERLIE SAID SKI REST BAR SO AS TO FORM A SKI RECEIVING SPACE THEREBETWEEN, A SERIES OF SPACED, DOWNWARDLY DEPENDING POSTS ALONG SAID TOP BAR EACH OF WHICH IS ADAPTED TO BE HORIZONTALLY SPACED RELATIVE TO SAID SKI REST BAR VERTICAL POSTS AND OVERLAPPING SAID VERTICAL POSTS WHEN SAID TOP BAR IS DISPOSED IN ITS SAID OVERLYING POSITION WHEREBY THE RESPECTIVE SERIES OF VERTICAL PINS FORM A SERIES OF FRAMES EACH ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND ENCLOSE A PAIR OF SKIS, EACH FRAME INCLUDING ONE UPWARDLY EXTENDING VERTICAL POST AND ONE ADJACENT DOWNWARDLY DEPENDING POST SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL THERETO FORM A BOX-LIKE FRAME, MEANS ON SAID TOP BAR TO LOCK IT IN ITS SAID OVERLYING POSITION. 